Trolley-switch.



J. J. RUDDIGK.

TROLLEY SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2a, 190s.

. Patented Mar. 16, 1909.

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J. J. RUDDICK.

VTBOLLLY SWITCH.

APPLIOATION FILED un 2s, 190e.

Patented Mar.16,19o9.

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JOHN J. RUDDIcK, or N'EwTonMAssAcHUsETTs;

TROLLEY-SWITCH.

Application filed May 28,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOI-1N J. RUDDICK, a citizen ofthe United States,residing at Newton, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, haveinvented an Improvement in Trolley Switches, of which the followingdescription, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is aspecication, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to trolley switches such as are used inconnection with electric signal systems for electric railways. l

rIhe term-trolley switch77 is commonlyT used to designate the switchwhich is operated by the trolley wheel or traveling contact on anelectric car for the purpose of closing or opening a circuit by means ofwhich the signals of the signal system are operated.

T he objects of my'invention are to provide a novel construction oftrolley switch in which the trip or other member operated by the trolleywheel may be made comparatively light so that it will have comparativelylittle inertia and thus be less liable to become broken if struck by arapidly moving trolley wheel; to provide a novel construction of trolleyswitch which comprises an inertia device which acts to lengthen the timethat the contacts are together when the trolley switch is operated bythe trolley wheel, and to provide a novel construction in which the tripdevice may be operated equally well with a new trolley wheel or a wellworn one and to improve generally this character of' trolley switch allas will be more fully hereinafter described. and thenA pointedY out inthe claims.

ln the drawings wherein I have shown one embodiment of my invention,Figure l is a part side elevation and a part section on the line r-a,Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a section on the line y-y, Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a sectionon the line a-a, Fig. 1. n Fig. 4 is a detail showing the manner inwhich the trip is operated by the trolley-switch.

The various parts of the trolley switch are supported on a suitableframe 8 which has the wire-support 4 to which the trolley-wire 5 issecured as usual.

The switch herein shown is a double switch, that is, one adapted to beoperated by a car passing in either direction althou h this is notessential to my invention as the atter might be embodied in a singlesw1tch. The double switch merely involves duplicating the partsSpecification of Letters Patent.

1908. Serial No. 435,503.

the trip 9 when the latter is actuated by the trolley wheel. One ieatureof my invention is in so sustaining the trip that it will be actuatedequally well by a new ora worn trolley wheel. l accomplish this end bypivotally sustaining said trip so that it will swing in an inclinedplane when actuated by the trolley wheel. The trip normally standsthereof below the trolley wire, but when it is actuated by the trolleywheel it swings in an inclined plane so that the lower end thereof- Thetrip may be sustained in such inclined position in a variety of wayswithout departing from the invention. I have herein shown the trip asextending through a slot 11 in the floor ol the 'frame and as lyingagainst the side of the inclined flange 12() which acts as a guide forthe trip in its movement. The trip is also shown as pivotally sustainedon the stud l() which in the present embodiment of my invention has aninclined position, although this is not essential to the invention. Asthe trolley wheel passes along the wire 5, the `iiange o'l` the wheelwill strike the lower end of the trip, as shown in Fig. 8, wherein thewheel is shown in dotted lines. movement oi the trolley wheel will swingthe trip in one direction or the other, said trip in its swingingmovement following the face of the inclined flange 120 and thus swingingin a plane which is inclined ktransversely to the trolley wire. Duringthis swinging moveupwardly and because the trip is swinging 1n aninclined plane, said end will be carried into a position above and insubstantially the vertical plane of the wire 5, as shown 1n dotted linesin Fig. l.

The wear to which a trolley wheel is subjected when in use operates todeepenthe groove in it without wearing away specially on the iianges andwidening the groove. lf the trip 9 hung vertically at the side of vthetrolley wire it would be operatedy solely by the llange of the wheel,yand the amount of movement given to it would depend uponthe :PatentedMarch 1e, 1909.

tact which is closed against the contact 6, thereby to close thecircuitby movement oi at one side oi the trolley wheel with one endAThe( is carried up directly over the trolley wire,

ment oi the trip the lower end thereof swings depth of the flange,whichk in turn is dependent'on the depth of the groove or the amountwhich the wheel is worn; but by giving the trip the inclined positionshown, the trip is released from the trolley wheel as the latter assesunder it, when the portion of the trol- Rey wheel which bears on thewire has passed the end of the trip, and said trip will,'therefore,always be released at the same time regardless of the amount which thetrolley wheel is worn. This is one of the important features of theinvention as it insures propel' operation of the contact by any andevery trolley wheel.

ln order to reduce the likelihood of the trip breaking by contact withthe rapidly moving trolley l have made said trip as light as possible sothat its inertia is reduced to a minimum. I have also interposed betweenthe trip and the movable Contact 7 yielding connections which areadapted to give when the trip is operated quickly thereby preventing thebreakage of anyrparts, said yielding connections operating to move thecontact with a slower movement than that given to the trip. l have alsoprovided between the trip and contact an inertia device which operatesto prolong somewhat the length of time that the contacts are closedtogether.

The tri herein shown is provided with an arm 12 wlIiich is adapted toengage an arm 13 on an actuating member le which is shown as pivoted toa stud 15 extending from the frame. The arm 13 preferably has anantifriction roll 160 thereon to reduce friction between it and the arm12 of the trip.

interposed between the actuator 14 and the contact 7 is an inertiadevice, and for convenience I have mounted all three of these parts,that is, the actuator 14, the inertia device and the contact 7, on thesame stud 15. The inertia device is shown at 16, and it is provided witha weight 17 'which tends to restore it to its normal position and whichalso acts as the inertia member to prolong the time of contact betweenthe members 6 and 7. The said inertia device has an arm 18 which isadapted to engage an arm 19 extended from the actuator; said inertiadevice is also provided with a hub 2O around which is wound a spring 21,one end of which is fastened to the actuator as at 22 the other end oiwhich is fastened to the inertia device.

The inertia device is shown as having eX- tending upwardly therefrom anarm 91 which carries at its upper end a weight 170, (said arm beingbroken out in Fig. 2), this weight` cooperating with the weight 17 togive the device the necessary inertia or momentum to prolong the timewhen the contacts 6 and 7 are together.

When the parts are in the normal position both the weight 170 and theweight 17 occupy positions on the same side of the fulcrum stud 15, and,therefore, they both tend to hold the inertia device in its normalposition, but when the inertia device is given its turning movement themomentum of these lweights serve to lengthen the turning movement of theinertia device and thus prolong the time of contact. 4

The movable contact 7 is provided with a hub 23 which is loosely mountedon the stud 15 and around said hub is coiled a spring 24, one end ofwhich is fastened to the contact, as at 25, and the other end of whichis fastened to the inertia device, as at 26.

The inertia device is shown as having an arm 27 which is adapted toengage the contact 7 for restoring it to its normal position.

The parts thus far described constitute those forming one switch, and ifthe device is a double switch, as herein shown, then the trip will havetwo arms 12; and the actu ator, inertia device and contact 7 may beduplicated on the other side as is shown in the drawings.

in the operation of the parts when the trip is operated by the trolleywheel the shoulder 12 by engagement with the arm 13 will turn theactuator about the stud 15 thereby putting tension on the spring 21which transmits the turning movement of the actuator to the inertiadevice which also turns about the stud 1.5. rlhis turning movement ofthe inertia device puts tension on the spring 24 which transmits theturning movement to the contact 7 and the latter is swung over intoengagement with the fixed contact 6. The springs 21 and24 are of suchtension that il the trip 9 is operated slowly the actuator, inertiadevice and contact will move in unison as one piece, but if the trip isstruck a quick blow by a rapidly-moving trolley wheel, said trip andactuator will be given a quick movement and because of the inertia inthe inertia member, the spring 21 will be wound up. The tension of saidspring, however, immediately starts the inertia member 16 and the lattertransmits its motion to the movable Contact 7, as will be obvious. Theyielding connection between the actuator and inertia device permits thetrip and actuator to be moved quickly by a sharp blow without danger ofbreaking any of the parts, as would be the case if the trip wereconnected positively instead of yieldingly to the contact device. Whenthe trip is thus operated with a quick movement and the spring 21 issuddenly wound up, the recoil of the spring gives the inertia device avforward movement, and owing to the momentum of the weights 17 and 170,said inertia member is carried beyond the point necessary for closingthe contact 7 againstthe contact 6. This eXtra additional movement ofthe inertia device is permitted by the spring 24, and during the timetaken for this eXtra movement, the contacts are held closed, thusprolonging the actual time which the contacts are together. With myiinproved switch, therefore, the time which the contacts are together isnot dependent upon the speed with which the trip is actuated by thetrolley wheel as the inertia device operates to prolong the contact whenthe trip is ra idly operated. Furthermore, the parts wnich are subjectedto quick blows orrapid operations are made light and therefore notsusceptible to breakage.

The movable parts of the switch are preferably covered by a suitablecover 30 which is shown as hinged to the frame 3, as at 31.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. In a trolley switch, the combination witha trip, of an inertia member connected thereto a movable contact memberand a yielding connection between the inertia member and said contactmember.

2. In a trolley switch, the combination with a trip, of an inertiamember yieldingly connected thereto and a movable contact memberconnected to and operated by the inertia member..

3. In a trolley switch, the combination with a trip, of an inertiamember yieldingly connected to the trip, and a movable contact memberyieldingly connected to the inertia member.

4. In a trolley switch, the combination with a trip, of a contactmember, and an inertia member interposed between said trip and contactmember and yieldingly connected to each. A

5. In a trolley switch, the combination with a trip, of a contactmember, and an inertia member interposed between said trip and contactmember and yieldingly connected to the trip.

6. In a trolley switch, the combination with a pivotally-mountedcontact, of a pivotally-mounted inertia device yieldingly connectedthereto, a trip, and means to actuate the inertia device by movement ofthe trip.

7. In a trolley switch, the combination with a pivotally-mounted trip,of a pivotallymounted actuator to be operated thereby, an inertia deviceyieldingly connected to the actuator, and a contact member connected tothe inertia device.

S. In a trolley switch, the combination with a pivotally-mounted tri ofa stud, an actuator ivoted thereon an adapted to be operated y the trip,and an inertia device also mounted thereon and yieldingly connected tothe actuator, and a contact member also pivoted thereon and yieldinglyconnected to the inertia device.

9. In a trolley switch, the combination with a contact member, of apivotallymounted tri suspended above the trolleywire and inc inedtransversely thereto.

10. In a trolley switch, the combination with a frame, of a trolley-wiresectiony secured thereto, and a trip pivoted to the frame above thetrolley-wire section in a position inclined transversely to said wiresection.

11. In a trolley switch, the combination with a frame, of a trolley-wiresection secured thereto, and a depending trip pivoted to the frame abovethe trolley-wire section, inclined transversely thereof, and having itslower end normally projecting below said trolleywire section.

12. In a trolley switch, the combination with a contact member, of avtrip for actuat ing said member and mounted to swing in a plane inclinedtransversely to the trolley wire.

13. In a trolley switch, the combination with a frame, of a trolley wiresectionsecured thereto, a trip depending from the frame and mounted toswing in a plane inclined transversely to the trolley wire section, anda contact actuated by the swinging movement of the trip.

14. In a trolley switch, the combination with a frame, of a trolley wiresection secured thereto, a contact, and a trip for operating saidcontact, said frame having an inclined guiding face over which the tripmoves.

15. In a trolley switch, the combination with a movable contact member,of a trip for actuating said member, and a trolley-wire section, saidtrip being pivotally mounted above the trolley-Wire section to swing inan inclined plane, having its lower endnormally below the trolley-wiresection.

16. In a trolleyswitch, the combination with a movable contact member ofa trip for actuating said member, and a trolley-wire section, said tripbeing pivotally mounted above the trolley-wire section, having its endsituated normally below the trolley-wire section and adapted to swinginto position vertically over said trolley-wire section when actuated bythe trolley. y In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to thisspecification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN J. RUDDICK.

Witnesses:

Louis C. SMITH, FREDERICK S. GREENLEAF.

